Warrior's Choice
by Xardion
Summary: Takes place after Chap. 45 of Street Fighter Aftermath II. Chun Li grows annoyed by Ryu's departures and wants him to stop. But she isn't the only one who thinks so. Please R


Disclaimer: I do not own Street Fighter or the characters within (naturally). But Shinji is of my creation.

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**_Warrior's Choice_**

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'_Not again…'_

With a low moan, Chun Li sat up from her bed. It was still late in the evening. In fact, it was probably after midnight now. Yet she was unable to sleep tonight. A fact that had been true for some nights now. She began to settle back in, but stopped for lying back down on the bed.

_It just felt too…cold…_

Sighing to herself, she rose up from bed and moved toward the kitchen area. As she did, she passed Shinji's room. Peering in, she saw the boy deep asleep. He had gone through a lot in the past weeks. According to him and Mel, they had faced a revived Bison and only barely survived. From Shinji, she learned that Ryu had appeared before Bison and finished him off, disappearing into the flames soon afterward. But again, that was some weeks ago and Ryu hadn't been seen or heard from since, not even by Ken.

_Again…_

Chun Li felt a swell of annoyance and come over her. This was a typical thing from Ryu. She would worry about him and he would miraculously appear. There was little reason for her to worry, true. This was the same man that had defeated both Akuma and Gill in one battle and survived an exploding island. But she couldn't help it. She loved him.

_And it frustrated her…_

It was always the same with Ryu and it was all because of his quest to become a better fighter and learn the meaning of the fight. He would go out and put himself in possibly dangerous life-threatening situations and cause her to worry almost constantly. Many times, it frustrated her that he would leave out into the world like that. Although she knew otherwise, it felt as though he was leaving his family behind.

Leaving _her_ behind…

She sighed to herself. This lack of sleep was making her antsy. She understood why he was the way he was. It was how he was raised up. A student of Anasatsuken karate art (the karate being derived from Shotokan), Ryu was brought up as a warrior, plain and simple. True, after his master and foster father had died, Ryu could have looked for a different path in life, but that wasn't the case. He wasn't Ken, who was raised in the States and then sent to train. Ken knew of life outside of fighting; Ryu did not. It could be considered a miracle that he even found a person to love, much less get married and have children.

Still, after they had married, his desire to fight remained strong and every six months, he would journey alone in the world to continue his training. It wasn't that he couldn't do it there. In fact, he had his own dojo in the area where he would allow students to come in and learn. But the world was a much more appealing arena, something that did not exist in his dojo. Chun Li understood the appeal on a certain level too, she being a warrior herself and had traveled from place to place to find answers and at times, having to fight to get them. She knew the rush of the battle, the thrill of the fight. She didn't invite them, but she didn't ignore the feelings either.

But that was years ago. And right now, she didn't feel like being understanding. She had settled down from fighting long ago. Ryu should too. This thought was so firm in her mind that she almost didn't catch the distant sensation of chi until she sighed afterward again. When she caught it, she was a bit surprised, but recognized its strength right away.

"Ryu…"

Of course. He would be in the back training still. It was something he would do at times after he returned from his trips. This of course, brought her mind back to her previous thoughts. _'Enough should be enough…'_ she thought as she moved to the back door and toward dojo stationed there. As she marched, she tried to decide how best to tell him. In the end, she decided that she should be honest. It was what they were good at; being honest with each other. And if she could understand Ryu's feelings, then he could understand hers.

Then she saw him in the center of the dojo and stopped…everything…

She watched in silence, taking in the pure glory of the man before her. The way he moved into his katas with flawless execution and pure concentration… It was so…beautiful... This was what he was. This was Ryu in the purest sense. This was who she fell in love with and loved ever still. She was so entranced by his movement that she didn't notice him stop and slowly open his eyes to see her.

"Chun…"

If she thought he was beautiful, you could just image the thoughts going through Ryu's mind. To see this woman standing there, watching him with those eyes. It was enough to make his heart melt…twice. She was as beautiful as she had always been, even more so because her beauty was both natural and spiritual.

"Ryu… I thought I heard you." she whispered after a while.

The man straightened himself and began to move toward her. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"It's okay." she admitted. "I couldn't sleep anyway."

The distance closed between them and Chun Li found herself wrapped in her husband's embrace. It was a loose one, but the warmth was evident. She missed this, very much. It was then that she realized the truth. She just missed him so much. Over the nights that he had been out in the world fighting and training, she had gone to bed without this warmth.

"I've been thinking…"

She almost didn't catch it at first, but there was a sense of stress in his voice. And his tone was solemn. He had something on his mind. Something important. Something he was going to share with her now.

"Yes?"

There was a sigh before he began, but his tone remained as it was. "All my years…Searching for the meaning of the fight, wandering the world for fighters greater than myself." He tilted his head down, his cheek touching the woman's forehead. "Yet, I always yearn to return here, to all of you. I'm not as I was before and I don't think I can be. But, I find that I do not mind at all. As long as all of you are here to return to."

"Ryu…?" She didn't fully understand what he was saying, but was starting to get the gist of it. And right then, after a brief silence, he concluded.

"My quest…must come to an end."

Her eyes nearly widened with surprise. _'Did he mean to…stop altogether? Stop his journey?'_ This must have taken a great deal of thought for Ryu to even consider something like this. If he stopped, then…her nights of cold would end. He would be around with her, always there for her. But…for Ryu to give up his quest…that was a great sacrifice for him.

Perhaps too great…

"Ryu…" Her eyes lowered and she held him closer. "Just a moment ago, I was thinking that you put your quest before everyone, that the fight was more important to you than everything. But I…I can't let you do that. It is who you are." Her head backed away from his cheek. "To deny it would be to deny yourself and that's not what I want."

Ryu frowned. "But Chun… I belong here, raising our family together. Even those periods when I had departed, I should have remained here." He then breathed. "I…missed you all too much."

Chun Li looked up at him, noticing that even though he said all, he meant mostly her. Her voice softened. "But then you would have hated yourself for that. It would have become a void in your heart and you would not be able to live with yourself that way. Your journey will come to its end." With a sigh of resignation, she raised her hand and lent her palm on his cheek.

"But not until it's time."

"But what about you? What about Shinji and Mikoto?"

That was the true reason he sounded his request. He was afraid that he was loosing Chun Li and his family. They were a part of him that he would not give up. He would put his own quest and desires aside before that happened. In a way, it was exactly the way she had been feeling. Chun Li realized this and gave him a caring smile.

"They will always be your children. I will always be your wife. We will always love you." The distance closed between them as she pulled herself toward his face. "_I_ will always love you."

Their lips soon met together in a kiss, but not an ordinary one. It was a kiss of understanding and affection for other. To know the feelings of the partner and loving them because of it, all wrapped in one embrace. A collective sigh escaped their lips as they parted, with smiles of contentment on their faces.

"Still, I've been away so many times." He looked into his love's eyes. "I think I will remain local from now on."

Chun Li nodded. "That would be great. There are still opponents here strong enough to give you a challenge."

"Oh? Like who?"

"Hiya!"

In one deft move, Chun Li hit his chest with a hard palm, pushing him back hard. Them, while still holding his arm, she twisted it around and rotated, causing Ryu to flip downward and be slammed into the floor. All of this happened in a span of two seconds, during which Ryu was still breathless in surprise and pain

"Guah!"

Chun Li smiled as he began to regain his bearings and after seeing her, he smiled as well. 'Should've known better…' Still smiling, the woman bent down to her fallen husband and partially laid on him, from the body upward. The distance closing once more and their gazes locked on to one another, Chun Li whispered a single word and question before closing the gap once again.

"Forever?"

"Forever."


End file.
